Winemaker Notes
Organically farmed head-trained vines planted at 1500' in the granite and quartz soils of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Primarily savory and red-fruited, with characteristics of black pepper, dried meats and fine-grained tannin texture. This would be an excellent pairing with wood-fired pizza.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From a dry-farmed site planted at 1,500 feet, the 2022 Zinfandel Buck Cobb Vineyard leads with an herbal, lifted alpine-style nose of raspberry, cranberry, potpourri and Angostura bitters that offers ever more detailed nuances as it spends time in the glass. The palate is deeply concentrated and layered, with an approachable frame. The finish combines a vibrantly juicy core with a slightly stiff, dusty tannin structure and bracing acidity that will require time to integrate but should reward those who invest the time. It includes Petite Sirah, Mataro and Alicante Bouchet.
Unapologetically bold, spice-driven and jammy, Zinfandel has secured its title as the darling of California vintners by adapting well to the state's diverse microclimates and landscapes. Born in Croatia, it later made its way to southern Italy where it was named Primitivo. Fortunately, the imperial nursery of Vienna catalogued specimens of the vine, and it later made its way to New England in 1829. Parading the true American spirit, Zinfandel found a new home in California during the Gold Rush of 1849. Somm Secret—California's ancient vines of Zinfandel are those that survived the neglect of Prohibition; today these vines produce the most concentrated, ethereal and complex examples.
As the lower part of the greater Sierra Foothills appellation, Amador is roughly a plateau whose vineyards grow at 1,200 to 2,000 feet in elevation. It is 100 miles east of both San Francisco and Napa Valley. Most of its wineries are in the oak-studded rolling hillsides of Shenandoah Valley or east in Fiddletown, where elevations are slightly higher.
The Sierra Foothills growing area was among the largest wine producers in the state during the gold rush of the late 1800s. The local wine industry enjoyed great success until just after the turn of the century when fortune-seekers moved elsewhere and its population diminished. With Prohibition, winemaking was totally abandoned, along with its vineyards. But some of these, especially Zinfandel, still remain and are the treasure chest of the Sierra Foothills as we know them.
Most Amador vines are planted in volcanic soils derived primarily from sandy clay loam and decomposed granite. Summer days are hot but nighttime temperatures typically drop 30 degrees and the humidity is low, making this an ideal environment for grape growing. Because there is adequate rain throughout the year and even snow in the winter, dry farming is possible.